The invention relates to apparatus for cleaning bar-mounted remnants of carbon blocks, particularly anode blocks.
As is well known, the used-up carbon anodes (anode remnants as they are called) that occur in, for example, the electrolytic extraction of aluminium, become coated with relatively thick incrustations consisting of a mixture of aluminium oxide and solidified material from the melt. For reasons of economy, it is necessary to remove these incrustations from the anode remnants, so that they can be recycled for use in the electrolysis process, and so that the anode remnants can be used for producing new carbon anodes. In practice, the cleaning of the anode remnants is still mainly carried out manually by using tools such as air lances.
DE-OS No. 3 032 525 describes a system for cleaning anode remnants by mechanical means. In that system, use is made of a carriage having a pallet for conveying the bar-mounted anode remnants. An anode remnant to be cleaned is positioned on the pallet in an upright position using a device such as a hoisting tackle. The remnant is then firmly clamped to the pallet using a clamping device arranged on a travelling table. The travelling table, the pallet, and the clamped anode remnant are tilted through 90.degree. to position the remnant horizontally. The remnant is then moved into a working position at a region beneath a breaking tool, by means of which the incrustations are broken away. The broken-away material falls into a funnel, and is carried away on a conveyor. After the breaking operation, the pallet and the cleaned anode remnant are swung back, and are deposited on the carriage.
The aim of the invention is to provide a simplified apparatus for cleaning bar-mounted remnants of carbon blocks.